The Harkaway Avenue of Honour was planted with twenty-nine native trees in 1919 to commemorate the First World War.The Avenue starts on the east side of Harkaway Road and King Road, where a small monument marks the avenue and lists the names of those Harkaway men who enlisted. The monument was unveiled by Councillor George Rae on Anzac Day 1959. Since its original planting in 1919, some of the trees have been replaced with Oaks which are currently in a poor condition.
In Australia, commemorative trees have been planted in public spaces since the late nineteenth century. Arbor Days were held regularly in most Victorian State Schools during the late 1800s and early 1900s, and numerous trees were planted in parks in Melbourne and throughout Victoria to mark the visits of important and famous people.